South Coast NSW deserves a road trip.
After having recently spent five weeks discovering the south coast for the first time, we usually head north from Sydney, it’s now one of our favourite regions in Australia.
Why a two week itinerary? No reason, you could actually do five like we did and not get bored, but most people generally have a two week period for travel.
From the stunning beaches, to the hinterland, to the hundreds of wild kangaroos hopping around, South Coast NSW is a great alternative to heading north, maybe even better!
2 Nights in Wollongong
Heading south from Sydney, drive through the Royal National Park and make you way down the Grand Pacific Drive, stopping at Bald Head Lookout, the Scarborough Hotel for lunch, then over the Sea Cliff Bridge to Wollongong.
Things to do in Wollongong:
- Cycle the Wollongong foreshore
- North Wollongong Beach
- Nan Tien Temple
- Science Centre & Planetarium
Places to Eat & Drink in Wollongong
- Illawarra Brewery
- Dew Drop Inn Tea House (Nan Tien Temple)
- Diggies Beach Cafe
- Lagoon Restaurant
- Ka~fé
Where to Stay in Wollongong:
2 Nights Kangaroo Valley
Head south from Wollongong and stop at Gerringong for coffee, then lunch at the Great Southern Hotel in Berry.
Kangaroo Valley is as green as Ireland and with the Australian bush and escarpments framing it, it’s really a pretty place to spend a few days.
Things to do in Kangaroo Valley:
- Historic Hampden Bridge
- Fitzroy Falls
- See wild wombats at Bendeela Picnic Area
- Upper Kangaroo river for a picnic or bbq
- Cycle (or drive) the Upper Kangaroo River Road
Places to Eat & Drink in Kangaroo Valley:
- Barrengarry store (famous for pies)
- The fudge shop
- The Friendly Inn Hotel
- Burrawang Village Hotel
Places to stay in Kangaroo Valley:
4 Nights Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay is magical and easily one of the best beach destinations in Australia. I have no doubt you will be blown away by the beauty just like I was.
The Jervis Bay area needs most of your attention. 4 nights/3 days at a minimum.
Things to do in Jervis Bay:
- Hyams Beach
- White Sands Walk
- Green Patch Beach
- Greenfields Beach
- Murrays Beach
- Chinamans Beach
- Booderee National Park
- Scottish Rocks
- Kayak along Currambene Creek
- Go fishing / whale watching
Places to Eat & Drink in Jervis Bay:
- The Husky Pub
- Husky Bakery & Cafe (famous for pies)
- Hyams Beach Cafe
- Picnic or BBQ at any of the Beaches
Places to Stay in Jervis Bay:
- Camp at Green Patch Beach
- Stay in a cabin at Jervis Bay Caravan Park
- For a unique and local experience book with Airbnb.
2 Nights Murramarang National Park
Want to see wild kangaroos on the beach? Come here!
Things to do in Murramarang National Park
- Pretty Beach
- Pebbly Beach (famous for kangaroos)
- Depot Beach
- Durras Beach
- The Pretty Beach to Merry Beach coastal walk
Places to Stay Murramarang National Park:
2 Nights Narooma
Narooma is stunning. The scenery is breathtaking and so unique. I don’t think I have ever seen water that colour before in any other place in NSW.
Things to do in Narooma:
- The Boardwalk (look for stingrays)
- Bar Beach
- Bar Lookout
- 12 km to cycle way to Dalmeny Beach
- Australia Rock at sunrise
- Montague Island Nature Reserve (breathtaking wildlife sanctuary)
- Central Tilba Markets
Places to Eat & Drink in Narooma:
- The Quarterdeck (cool cafe and bar on the water)
Stay:
2 Nights Merimbula
We actually stayed in Eden when we visited Merimbula, but don’t stay in Eden. Merimbula is a nicer town.
Things to do in Merimbula:
- Ben Boyd National Park (don’t miss the Pinnacles)
- Mimosa Rocks National Park
- Merimbula Bar Beach
- Short Point Beach
- Whale watching in Eden
Stay:
- Many hotel accommodation options available with booking.com.
- For a unique and local experience check out Airbnb.
Where is South Coast NSW?
The South Coast NSW region begins just outside of Sydney and stretches from the Royal National Park to Eden.
Have you already been to South Coast NSW? What places would you add to this list?
You had me at those pies, and oh, how I miss Australia for the pies! 🙂
(Actually, in downtown Vancouver, there’s a food truck called Aussie Pie Guy: their pies are pretty damn good.)
Henry, I’ve only just started eating pies again after 6 years. Enjoy the “pie guy” over there 🙂
hi !
amazing photographs, Australia always rock
Great recommendations as always Craig. It looks as though you’ve really explored and got to know the place. I was in Wollongong a few years ago but sadly due to work commitments had little time to explore. Hopefully I’ll be able to explore these regions with leisure time in the future.
Thanks for the photos of the pies, Australia wouldn’t be Australia without great pies!
Yeah, most Aussies love their pies. I’m seeking out the best in the country 🙂 It’s a place worth exploring. Come on back!
Great article! Southern NSW is often overlooked and forgotten about by many travelers. The towns and cities in the south are just as beautiful as the Coffs Harbour’s and Port Macquarie’s in the north, but far less “touristy”. Batemans bay is a really pretty coastal town too not far from Murramarang National Park.
Hey Luke, Coffs Harbour has nothing on Jervis Bay, IMO. And maybe it’s a good thing the south is overlooked, lot less people!
Looks like a fab part of the world. My cousin actually used to live close to Jarvis Bay. It’s a stunningly beautiful spot. I was glad to see it get a mentioned here. The photos she showed me from this place with its torquoise water were simply stunning!
Yep, beautiful water Francis. The only downside is the water temp is a little chilly. Although it might warm up a little in the middle of summer, I’m not sure??
Looks like a great time and certainly brought back some fun memories! For some reason I just fell in love with the town of Wollongong. Glad you enjoyed it too.
Hi Jonathan, Wollongong tends to get a bad wrap. We only had 2 nights there, probably enough, but a good getaway trip from Sydney.
Great post ! It was a perfect itinerary and destinations are simply awesome.
Happy days!! 🙂
I had a job opportunity in this area once. I didn’t know enough about it and didn’t seriously consider it but seeing this post I wish I had!!
Is there a way to do this without a car. I’m terrified to drive on the left side. I tried it once in England and it was pretty bad. My niece is in Melbourne for a year and I love to take that trip from Sidney to Melbourne.
I think it will be quite challenging to do it without a car, as there won’t be a lot of public transport options. Unless you can find a tour bus that goes on that route. But, they tend to do the Sydney to Brisbane route more as it’s more popular
This is a very well rounded itinerary – I like how you have provided a few options for how travellers can spend their free time, where to enjoy a meal and where to stay. I hate following an itinerary only to arrive at the town and realise that the only establishment they recommended for a meal had shut down or was closed! I also prefer to travel with my caravan in tow (I can bring as much as I like with me then), so the recommendation of some camping grounds and caravan parks was very helpful!
Fun article guys! So good to give people the heads up to spend plenty of time along the south coast NSW. It could keep me entertained for weeks too, so many top spots to find and chill at. I took the girls there on the way back from Sydney this year and we used the camps 7 book, found some brilliant free camping areas as well as couple of great little caravan parks.
Awesome post guys! I think I might have to do this road trip over the Easter break this year! I have always wanted to see And photograph Jervis Bay!
We stayed on the South Coast at Murramarang National Park then went for a Skydive on our way south! Simply amazing.
This is superb I love this post. I totally agree the South Coast does deserve a road trip. The beaches along the coast are simply stunning not to mention the beach renowned for having the whitest sand in the world is on this coast. Keep up the great work.
We just did this exact drive and had such an amazing time! It will definitely be a treasured memory. We did it in five days, though I wish we’d had two weeks like you did! Narooma was our favorite, hopefully one day we can get back there to explore even more if it’s charm. Did you guys make it down into Gippsland Lakes? We absolutely loved seeing the koalas on Raymond Island. Cheers!
We didn’t make the Gippsland Lakes or RAymond Island. Thanks for the tips. We’d love to do it next time.